The Time to Choose is Over
by Rodea McWin
Summary: SEQUEL TO "IT'S TIME TO CHOOSE HORATIO" - Ryan has a hard time dealing with the aftermath of his abduction and poisoning at the hands of the Triangle Killer.
1. Chapter 1

Sequel to It's Time to Choose Horatio. If you have not read the previous story you may not totally understand this story.

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

It had been 2 weeks since Ryan had left the hospital. He had spent the last 2 weeks recovering from his ordeal with the 'Triangle Killer' and tomorrow was supposed to be his first day back to work.

He was told to take his time in coming back and that is exactly what he had done, but it was time to go back to what he knew, or what he thought he knew.

Ever since his time with the killer, things had changed. Before he was abducted along with Horatio and Eric he knew exactly where he fit in at work, but now he wasn't so sure. The last 2 weeks had been filled with people asking him how he was doing and bringing him food to make sure he was eating enough. Before all this happened, most of those same people acted as if he had never even existed.

It was all very confusing to him. He would often just sit there with these people and wonder if they were there to visit him because they were genuinely concerned for his welfare or if they just felt guilty. He tended to think it was the guilt that made them want to spend time with him, but he hoped it wasn't true. He really tried to believe they were there because they were his friends.

The Triangle Killer had left him with some very powerful suggestions that he was just a joke at work and that he was expendable. He could still hear the killer's words as he described how the others felt about him and at the time he truly believed every word. It had almost been like the killer was reading his mind and had pulled out the parts that he knew would hurt him the most.

Ryan knew he was good at his job, but he was never good with the relationships that formed around his job. All of that had changed and it was something he didn't know if he was ready to deal with.

The one person that he had the hardest time with, and the one he respected the most was Horatio. And it was Horatio that had changed the most out of anyone he worked with.

Over the last 2 weeks Horatio had become a natural part of his life. He had been the one to bring him home from the hospital and even stayed with him on the first night. After that he was over every evening making sure he didn't need anything.

Ryan had wondered how Horatio was doing. After all he was just as much a part of the whole ordeal as he had been. But Horatio refused to discuss the Triangle Killer. They talked about everything else, but anytime he mentioned the case he would immediately change the subject.

Ryan had finally come to the conclusion that Horatio was feeling guilty and this was his way of making amends.

Tomorrow he would be going back to work and he really hoped that everyone would eventually just forget everything that had happened. If they forgot about it, they wouldn't talk about it and he could then get back to the life he was use to. But it would never be the same. He wasn't the same anymore so how could he expect anyone else to be. Tomorrow would be a new beginning and maybe a chance to finally have what he longed for. After all it was something he always wanted, but he just didn't want it this way. He didn't want his newly found friends to be something made from tragedy. He wanted their feelings to be genuine.

xxxxx


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Ryan looked over at his alarm clock; which read 5:30 am. It was set to alarm at 6:30, but he was so wide awake that he didn't think could get back to sleep so he turned the alarm off and sat up in bed.

The sun was shining through his window indicating the day was off to a good start. The last few days had been rainy and wet as they approached hurricane season; which hadn't helped his mood any. He was dreading today so much that he only got a couple of good hours of sleep. He wasn't sure why he would have such apprehensions about going back to work, but after all that he had been through no could blame him. In some ways he kind of wish they would blame him for something since it would feel like old times when he was either ignored or made to feel like he was useless.

He tried his best to put his feelings aside while he got ready for work. He thought a nice long shower would have done the trick, but it did little to ease his mind.

He went through his closet and after finding the shirt he wanted he put it on. As soon as he did he realized that it was big on him. He had known he had lost weight in the last couple of weeks, but until now he hadn't realized how much. His tailored suit had always fit perfectly, but now it just hung off of him. Luckily it still looked alright on him because he didn't have much of a choice. He could just see the look on everyone's face if he were to show up in the sweats and a t-shirt that he had been living in for the past few weeks.

* * *

His drive to work took longer than he remembered, but some of the areas had been washed out due to several heavy rainfalls recently and he had to take a different route. Luckily he had left home early so he wasn't late to work. He didn't want anyone to worry about him on his first day back. They had done plenty of that in the last couple of weeks.

After pulling into one of the spots he turned his car off and looked around. He didn't see anyone else yet so he felt it was safe to get out. He just wanted to get inside and get himself situated before the onslaught of questions about how was doing started.

It felt good to be back to work and not to have to worry about anyone watching him. The last time he had been here he left rather abruptly after passing out. This was something he was not going to repeat.

He walked inside and seeing no one waiting for him, he headed directly to his locker.

His luck was holding strong when he saw the locker room was deserted. He went to his locker, pulled out his badge and gun and put both of them in the proper location. Just the weight of the gun hanging off his side was enough to once again make him realize how much weight he had lost. He would have to start visiting the gym to get some of his muscles in shape.

He made a quick inspection of his appearance in the mirror before leaving the locker room. He still didn't like the way he looked. The weight loss showed on his face and the bags under his eyes were an obvious clue to anyone that he wasn't getting enough sleep. Maybe no one would notice.

* * *

He made his way to the lab to see what cases they were currently working on. He didn't know what they would have him do on his first day back, but he hoped it wasn't paperwork. He didn't feel like sitting behind a desk all day.

The lab was empty when he walked in, but he could tell that someone was working on something and probably just left to get something. He walked over to one of the tables and saw that it contained a few items of clothing and a hammer sitting inside a clear evidence bag. He knew not to touch anything since it was still being processed, but he could see by the evidence that someone was either hurt during an altercation or killed. The shirt had a large stain that resembled blood and the hammer had a similar color on the end.

His inspection of the items was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. He looked in the direction of the door and saw that it was Natalia, "Hey Natalia".

Natalia smiled when she saw who it was, "Hi Ryan, you're looking good. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good. So what are you working on?"

"Oh, I've been running some tests to see if they match the suspect we have in custody. We think he may have been the one to hit this poor guy with a hammer before his car was stolen. It's not much of a case really, but things have really been slow now that our serial killer is out of the picture".

Ryan winced at the mention of the killer. He was just thankful that the talk about him was in the past tense and it was not their current case. He looked up at Natalia with hopeful eyes, "Well, is there anything I can help you with?"

Natalia smiled again and shook her head, "No, sorry Ryan I don't have that much left to do. There might be some paperwork you could help me with".

Ryan was just about to protest to the paperwork when Horatio walked in.

Horatio had seen Ryan's car outside and knew exactly where he could find the young man. He was glad to have him back where he belonged. He couldn't help but smile when he found him, "Ryan, it's so good to have you back. I see you haven't wasted anytime in getting back to work".

"Yeah, I just wanted to jump right back it but it sounds like Natalia doesn't need any help".

Horatio walked over to Ryan and put his hand on his shoulder, "I have something else in mind for your first day back".

Ryan followed Horatio out of the lab and just hoped he would not end up behind a desk today.

* * *

Horatio led Ryan to his office and offered him a chair before taking his own. He looked Ryan over as he sat down. His young CSI looked better than he had, but he wished he could have convinced Ryan to take more time off. He looked tired and it wasn't hard to notice the weight loss. But he understood the need to get back to work. He had taken some extra time off after the whole ordeal and he remembered very well how eager he was to get back to work.

Ryan could see the concern in Horatio's eyes. He wanted to say something but decided to wait. He didn't want Horatio to think he was too eager.

"Well Ryan, it's good to have you back at work. I know you are probably anxious to get onto a case but I want to make sure you take it easy for a few days".

Ryan was just waiting for the word paperwork to enter the conversation, but was pleasantly surprised by what he heard next.

"I've been asked to go over some evidence from an older case and I thought you would be perfect for the job. The case was brought up again when some new information surfaced and there is a possibility that they have the wrong man in jail".

Ryan couldn't say he was disappointed with the assignment, but he had worked on cold cases before and they could be a challenge. He just hoped he wasn't stuck on it too long.

Horatio could almost see what Ryan was thinking so he decided to lessen the worry, "I know these cases can sometime take a long time, but I want you to know that I won't be keeping you in the lab all the time. When the right field work comes up you'll be asked to join in the case, but I want to make sure your involvement is small at first. I just want to make sure you don't rush back into anything".

Ryan was happy to hear this and hoped that the right case would come quickly. But in the meantime he took the file that Horatio gave him and headed to the evidence room to retrieve the items he was to work on.

xxxxx


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Ryan hadn't accomplished much on his first day back to work yet. He had taken the file from Horatio and was headed to the evidence room when he was stopped several times along the way by fellow coworkers asking him how he was feeling. He didn't mind all the questions at first, but when he was still telling the same tale hours later it got old very fast.

He really appreciated the fact that they had been worried about him, but he really just wanted it to stop. He was still having a hard time getting use to the attention, especially since he didn't believe it to be genuine. If none of this had happened to him he would still be the person people saw but chose to ignore. He thought it was ironic that for someone who could be invisible to those he worked had become the chosen one of a mad man.

When he finally sat down behind his desk he was tired. He didn't think talking to people could wear someone out. He pulled open the folder he had been given and found that the case Horatio had given him was familiar to him. He had been on the force when the guy was busted and eventually put behind bars. He hadn't worked on it, but he remembered hearing some of the other officers talking about it. The guy had killed his girlfriend and her coworker and the evidence they had on him was pretty convincing to the jury. He wondered as he read the file what they could have possibly found to prove the guys innocence.

He was deep into the report when he realized that he was no longer alone in the room. He looked up from his desk to find Calleigh just standing there staring at him. He smiled at her as she made her way over to him.

Calleigh had come into work later than usual and had not yet seen Ryan. She was glad that he was alone since she didn't want to have to compete for his time. She smiled when he finally noticed she was there. "Hey Ryan, I'm glad I found you alone. I didn't want to have to share you with everyone else". She took the seat next to his, "How does it feel to be back to work?"

Ryan was happy to see Calleigh but he wished she had not asked the same questions everyone else had already done. He had begun to think a big sign posted to his back with the words 'I'm feeling good' was just what he needed, but this was Calleigh who had asked so he obliged. "I'm doing good Calleigh, just getting into this case that Horatio gave me to work on".

"Yeah, I heard he wanted to start things off slowly for you. Is there anything I can do to help you with it?"

"No, this one sounds pretty simple but I'll remember your offer if it turns out to be otherwise".

Calleigh patted his leg as she leaned in closer, "you look tired, are you sure today was the best day for you to come back?"

Ryan let out a sigh before saying anything, "I'm fine; really I am. I admit I'm a little tired but I think it was because I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm sure once I get back into the routine of things I'll be back on track".

Calleigh wasn't sure if he was telling her everything but she didn't want to push him. He had been through a lot lately and she didn't want to add to it. "Well I want you to take it easy ok. Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No, but I'm not really hungry yet".

"Ok, well how about we go get a bite to eat when you are". She had noticed how his clothes hung from his body and knew that he had lost more weight than she had realized.

"Yeah sure that sounds good".

Ryan watched as Calleigh left the room. He stared at the empty door momentarily thinking about their conversation before returning to his work.

* * *

Horatio hadn't seen Ryan in a few hours and wondered how he was doing. He looked in the lab first, expecting to find him in there, but when he found it empty he went to the next obvious place.

When he entered the room he found Ryan sitting at his desk with his back to the door. "Hey Ryan, have you had any luck with the case?"

Ryan was making some notes on the case when he heard Horatio's voice. He set his pen down and turned around, "Hey H, I think there actually might be something to this case that might prove the guy didn't kill anyone. I don't have all the facts yet, but I can understand why his lawyer wanted it looked at again".

Horatio grinned as he walked over, "excellent Ryan, I knew you were the man for the case". Now that he was closer to Ryan he could see how tired he looked. He had been hoping by giving him this case he could take his time getting back into the routine of things, but it didn't appear to be working. But if there was one thing he knew about his CSI, it was his dedication to the job. He should have known that Ryan would throw himself into the case. "Say have you eaten anything yet, you look like you could use a break".

Ryan still wasn't very hungry but he was getting thirsty, "Well I promised Calleigh I would have lunch with her, but I could use something to drink".

"Let's head down to the cafeteria then. Perhaps you can tell me what you have so far on the case".

Ryan liked the idea and stood up to follow Horatio, but as he did he got dizzy and fell into the desk.

Horatio was instantly at his side and helped him back to this chair, "What was that Ryan; are you sure you're ready for this?"

Ryan knew he had just gotten up to quickly, but the way that Horatio was acting was all too familiar. In the last few weeks Horatio was constantly at his side doing whatever he could to make sure he got better. He appreciated it in the beginning, but when he was finally feeling well enough to be on his own he just couldn't get rid of the man. It was so out of character for his boss to act this way about anyone that he had decided that the man must be feeling pretty guilty about everything. He wanted to say something to him but he didn't know how. He looked up and saw the all too familiar look of concern in his eyes, "I just got up to fast, I've been sitting here for too long that's all".

Horatio wasn't convinced but didn't want to make a big fuss. "Maybe I should just bring something back?"

"No, just give me a second to get my bearing and I'll be fine". He waited until the dizzy feeling passed in his head and tried it again. He knew if he fell that Horatio would be there to catch him, but he felt better. Now that he was up he was able to stretch out his leg muscles which helped. He had been sitting way too much in the last few weeks.

* * *

Horatio was by Ryan's side the whole walk to the cafeteria. They were stopped several times along the way by people asking him how he was doing which only made the trip that much longer.

Once they reached their destination Horatio convinced Ryan to sit down while he went to get them something to drink.

As Ryan waited for Horatio he waved to several more people that he had seen earlier. He was just glad that they didn't come over to say anything.

Horatio came over with an ice tea for Ryan and water for himself. He took the seat opposite Ryan. "So, tell me all about the case".

"Well it looks like they may have overlooked some things, but I'll need to do a little more work to find out. The guy's lawyer had asked that the case be looked at again when some new information about the dead girl's coworker was brought to him".

"Yes, I remember the case, but I didn't work on it. The man was excused of killing his girlfriend when he thought she was cheating on him with her coworker. It was said by the defense team that it was a lover's rage that caused the man to kill them both if I'm not mistaken".

Ryan nodded, indicating Horatio was correct. "Supposedly he found the two of them going at it when he shot him and then stabbed her to death. He claims that he found them already dead when he got there, but there had been nothing to show anyone else had been there. It seemed like a clear case of jealousy and that was the way the defense sold it to the jury".

Horatio knew about the case after having been offered it, but he wanted to hear it from Ryan. "So what information do they have to make them think they can prove his innocence then?"

"It appears that the girl could not have been cheating on her boyfriend with her coworker since they found out that he had been in another relationship at the time".

"Why would that make a difference?"

"The lawyer finally tracked down the guys supposed lover and found out that he had been involved with another man. The lawyer wants to introduce the new evidence to show that his client was telling the truth about not being jealous over his girlfriend's relationship with her coworker. During the trial he had insisted that he knew they were only friends and that he had only gone there to pick her up for dinner".

Horatio thought the information was a long shot at getting the guy out of jail but he knew the lawyer and had promised that they would look into it. "Well it doesn't really sound like enou

* * *

gh to get the case reopened".

"That's what I thought, but as I was looking at the evidence that was collected I found a few things that didn't add up. I would like to look into them to see what I find".

Horatio had known this case would be good for Ryan to come back to. He didn't think it would take him very long to finish the case and by then he would be ready for more serious work. "Well I knew you were the right man for the job. But do me a favor Ryan, please take it easy. I don't want you falling down on your first day back to work".

Ryan didn't want that either but didn't say anything. He took his ice tea and slowly drank it while Horatio made small talk. A few times during their conversation his mind drifted back to the days before the triangle killer. He would have never been sitting in the cafeteria with Horatio having a casual conversation over ice tea and lemonade. This was just a little too unreal for him somehow. It had seemed ok when they were talking over at his place, but to be doing so at work made it all the more weird for him. He also could see by the looks of some of the other people in the cafeteria that they thought it odd to see Horatio sitting here with him. It wasn't that he was here with Ryan, but that he was here at all. This whole thing was something that Horatio just didn't do. He was usually off on a case or in his office or in the lab working. To find him sitting and relaxing was something new to a lot of people. It was just another piece of the puzzle that fit into Ryan's theory that this was all being done out of guilt.

* * *

After his little break Horatio had walked him back to his desk. He told Horatio it was unnecessary to do so, but he had lost the battle. Luckily Horatio left him alone to continue his work.

Within a few hours he had all his notes written down and knew what he needed to do. His plan was to get started tomorrow since today was almost over with. He had managed to get more done that he thought he would and was pleased with what he had come up with.

He looked at his watch and seeing that it was 4pm decided it was time to leave. He hadn't taken lunch and was finally getting hungry. He remembered what Calleigh had said and went to look for her. They may have missed lunch, but dinner was still an option.

After finding out that she was out on a case he decided to go home. There was not much else for him to do and he was still feeling tired.

* * *

After arriving home he sat down on the couch and ate the sandwich he had picked up. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make the pangs of hunger go quiet.

When the TV didn't reveal much to watch he settled on a book he had started reading during his convalescence. He pulled out his phone before settling in and found that it was turned off. He didn't remember doing it, but it had a habit of turning itself off so he thought nothing more of it. When he turned it back on he saw that he had missed several calls, one of which came from Calleigh asking for a rain check on lunch. The other calls were from various people, but none of whom he planned on calling back.

He soon fell asleep with his book on his lap.

His sleep was again plagued with the same dreams he had been having ever since coming home from the hospital. They all centered on his time with the killer and the words he spoke to him about how worthless he was and how no one really wanted or needed him at work.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE: I hope you don't think this story is starting off slow. I wanted to get Ryan established back at work first before writing about anything else in the story. It's been awhile since I have written a CSI story so forgive me while I take my time with this story. Some good things are coming; at least I think they're good. Stay tuned for more. I may have another chapter up soon, but can't guarantee anything.

xxxxx


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Ryan woke to the sound of his phone going off. As he reached for it he realized that he had fallen asleep in his chair. When he finally had his phone in his hand he saw that the call was coming from Horatio, "Hello".

"Ryan, is everything all right?"

Ryan could hear panic in his voice, "Yeah, everything is ok, why?"

"It's 9am and you hadn't come into work yet, I was just worried".

Ryan looked at the clock on the wall; which confirmed the time. He had overslept somehow. "Sorry, Horatio, I guess I overslept. I'll be there soon".

Horatio could hear that Ryan was not yet awake. "Take your time son, there is no need to rush. Come in when you can".

"Sure, ok". Ryan ended the call and put his phone down. A feeling of discomfort suddenly gripped his insides as he sat back in the chair. He wasn't sure where the feelings were coming from, but he knew it has something to do with the fact that he had overslept. This was something he never did except when there was something wrong in his life. He knew he had been sleep deprived lately and the extra sleep was good for him, but it was never a good sign for him to be late.

He got up from the chair and tried to shake the feeling off. When that didn't work he decided to hop into the shower.

He leaned into the shower wall as the warm water flowed over his body. He closed his eyes as he felt his muscles relax. The water did wonders to his ever active mind and he was soon feeling better.

After getting dressed he looked at himself in the mirror. What he saw he didn't like. This was not who he was, or who he use to be. He had to stop thinking about the past and just get on with his life. Maybe what happened to him was just what he needed and he should accept it. He wasn't getting any younger, in fact he was about to turn a year older. His birthday was in a few days and maybe he should just allow his life to change instead of fighting it. Maybe he could now have the life he saw others have and often wanted. So why was he letting this bother him. So they didn't know he existed before the triangle killer took him, so they ignored him in favor of the other CSI. What did any of that matter? What mattered now was that they did see him and seemed to like him. So what if they had to notice him out of pity. The point was that they saw him and that was all that mattered.

He turned his back from the mirror and covered his face with his hands. His head was starting to hurt from the sudden onslaught of feelings that were now oozing out of his brain. He had been having a lot of moments like this lately and he was tired of them. One minute he was feeling sorry for himself and the next he was convinced he could embrace the change and start something new.

He turned back to the mirror and flung water from his cup onto the image of his face. The distortion of his face in the mirror was enough to get his head straight again.

He finished getting ready and headed out the door.

* * *

He had remembered to take the alternate route today since some of the roads were still under repair from the recent rain. The drive into work at this time of day seemed more relaxing than it did when he normally drove to work. He was used to traveling at all hours of the day for the job, but his normal hours were still on first shift.

He grabbed one of the few parking spots that was left and walked toward the building. He smiled at the few people who were walking around outside but kept on moving to avoid being stopped. He just wanted to get inside, grab his stuff and work on the case that Horatio had given him. He was actually eager to find answers to the questions he had come up with on the case. There were things that didn't add up and he was planning on testing some of his theories before presenting it to the lawyer.

He was surprised by the flutter of activity in the building today. It must be the reason that the parking lot was so filled up. When he finally saw someone he knew he went over to ask what it was all about.

"Hey Mike, what's with all the people today?"

Mike, one of the lab techs, turned around when he heard his name, "Oh hey Ryan, there's some training going on. People from all around the city are here for it. They've been talking about it for the past couple of weeks; I'm surprised you didn't know about it".

"Thanks Mike", he turned and continued toward the lab.

When Mike saw Ryan walking away he remembered that there was no way he would have known about the training because he hadn't been here. He silently kicked himself for being so absent minded before going about his own work.

* * *

Ryan passed several more people he knew but no one bothered to stop him and ask him how he was doing today. They had waved at him when they saw he was looking at them, but that was about it. For a brief second it felt like old times, but he didn't have any more time to think about it as he ran right into Natalia.

Natalia had her arms full as she was getting ready for the training and hadn't even looked where she was going. Before she knew who she ran into she let out a grumbled reply, "Hey, watch where you're going?" When she looked at whom was one the ground covered in her paperwork she immediately apologized as she reached down to help him up, "Ryan, oh I am so sorry, I didn't see you. Here let me help you up"

Ryan took the offered hand and got back up on his own feet. He felt a little embarrassed at having been pushed down on the ground so easily. It reminded him once again that he needed to get back to the gym and work out. "Thanks, I guess I could have been watching where I was going too?"

"No Ryan, it was totally my fault". She started brushing off some invisible fuzz from his jacket as she continued, "Are you sure you are ok? Do you want to come in and sit down for a minute?"

Ryan felt fine and didn't think he needed to sit down, "No, I'm fine, here let me help you pick this up?" He started to bend down to pick up the fallen paper but found himself being stopped.

Natalia saw what he was reaching for and knew he had to be stopped before he saw what it was, "No Ryan, I can get this myself".

"No, it's no trouble Natalia, here let me help".

She didn't know what to do and in a moment of desperation grabbed his hand, "No Ryan, I don't need your help. I really need to get to class. Maybe you should go and find Horatio; I think he was looking for you earlier".

Ryan was stunned when he felt her grab his hand away. She was gentle about it, but it had seemed to come out of nowhere. He could see something in her eyes, but he wasn't sure what it meant. He thought it was best to just let it go, "Ok Natalia, if you don't need my help then I'll go find Horatio".

He never looked back as he walked away.

Natalia felt awful about what just happened, but she needed to get to the training room. Today was the only day they were offering this class and she really wanted to get there before the room filled up. Plus she really wanted to talk to some of the people from the other stations before the training started. She was working on something and needed to know if they would help her out with it. She made a mental note to find Ryan later on after class.

* * *

Ryan never did go and find Horatio. Instead he just went straight to his desk to get his notes and the case file. Today was so different than yesterday, but he attributed it to the class that was going on. It seemed like just about everyone was going, which made him wonder why it hadn't been mentioned to him earlier.

He was planning on heading out to do some field work of his own when a few other coworkers came into the room. They were talking amongst themselves, but when they saw him they quickly stopped. If he read their faces correctly, it looked like they had just been caught doing something wrong. "Hey Tony, hey Andrea, what's up?"

As soon as they saw Ryan they stopped talking. He was the last person they had hoped to run into.

Tony replaced the silence with a reply, "Hey Ryan, what are you doing here? I thought you were not coming in today?"

Ryan thought their response was odd, "No, I was just a little late. So you two looks like you were talking about something good, I didn't mean to interrupt you".

Seeing no one else in the office Tony started pushing Andrea toward the door, "Oh, that's ok Ryan, we were done talking anyway. Well we gotta go. There holding a class and we don't want to miss it".

Ryan sat at his desk wondering what that had been all about. He was beginning to wonder if they had figured out he was going to accept their friendship spawned from their recent concern and had suddenly changed their minds. He was beginning to wonder that about everyone he had encountered or for that matter didn't encounter today. How could he go from one day being the talk of the town where everyone wanted to be around you to one who no one had time for? Maybe he was just reading too much into all of this since he was still tired.

Ryan grabbed his stuff and headed out the door. The hallway was suddenly empty where only moments before it had been filled with people. He didn't have time to worry about this. He wanted to head out and get started on his work.

* * *

On his way out he finally ran into Horatio. The man didn't look pleased at all to see him. If anything he looked angry, but then again he knew that Horatio often looked one way but really felt another way.

"Hey Horatio, I was just heading out to work on the case".

"That can wait Ryan; I need to talk to you".

Ryan didn't like the sound of this, but he followed his boss as they headed to his office.

Horatio motioned for Ryan to sit down, "Have a seat Ryan".

Ryan took the seat but didn't say anything.

Horatio took his seat before explaining anything, "Ryan, I'm afraid I am going to have to pull you off the case. Some new and unexpected events have occurred and the case is now with another team".

Ryan was confused but he remained silent until Horatio was finished.

"The lawyer involved in the case was murdered last night and I have given the case to another team to work on. This was unexpected, but since they responded to the scene last night I thought it best to let them continue. What I want from you is to give what notes you had to the officer in charge. They will continue where you left off and see if there is still a chance to prove the guy's innocence".

Ryan didn't know if Horatio was finished but didn't care, "Why would you give this to another team. I am more than capable of handling this case Horatio".

Horatio had expected Ryan to be mad, "I know that you are capable of handling this, but since they already got started I figured it was best to let them have the rest of the case. There will be other work for you to do".

Ryan wasn't convinced, "Does it have anything to do with the class that is going on. Am I no longer qualified to do my job or take some additional classes?" Ryan hadn't meant to lash out, but it was something that had been at the boiling point for a while and the heat finally got to be too much.

"You are more than qualified to do your job Ryan. As for the class, I just didn't see the need for you to attend the session today".

Ryan had nothing more to add to the conversation. The accumulation of feelings was starting to mix together and he no longer felt like he was in control. He had felt like this before on a few occasions and knew that it never led to anything good. It was best if he just got up and left for the day.

Horatio noticed the change in Ryan's mood. "Ryan, please sit down, I'm not done yet".

"Look Horatio, I'm not feeling very good at the moment. I think that I need to just go home and rest".

Concerned filled Horatio's eyes, "Ryan, what is going on?"

"You know Horatio; I'm beginning to think I wasn't ready to come back to work". He suddenly felt the need to sit down.

Horatio got up from his chair and went over to Ryan's side, "Ryan, I understand what you are going through, but I think the best thing for you is to get back into your routine. It's the only way you are going to be able to put this behind you?"

Ryan looked up at Horatio, "Then why are you taking me off the case?"

Horatio leaned up against his desk, "I just don't want to give you too much right away. I know what this can do to a person and rushing into things isn't always the best thing to do".

"Well I appreciate it, but I think I can handle it. I don't want special treatment just because of what happened to me".

"I'm not giving you any special attention, I am just thinking about what's best for the case right now. And what's best is that the other team works on the case". He knew this sounded harsh, but he couldn't tell him the real reason for taking him off the case.

Ryan finally figured out what this was all about. Horatio just wanted to protect the case and that was why he wanted the other team to work on it. It was also probably the reason why he wasn't attending the class today, he wasn't good enough. He stood back up and faced Horatio, "Well then, what do you want me doing today?

Horatio didn't miss the hint of anger in Ryan's voice, but he was just looking out for the young man as best as he could, "I want you to work on some paperwork that needs to get finished".

Ryan accepted his new task with silence. He left Horatio's office and headed for the records department.

xxxxx


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

Ryan had spent the rest of the day completing paperwork and was left mostly to himself until it was time to go home. Before he left he ran into Horatio who only wanted to find out how he was doing and to make sure he went home and rested. He saw other people but they didn't take the time to say anything to him, which was fine with him. He knew the ride he was on wouldn't last forever, but he didn't think it would have ended this soon. He had only just come back to work, but then he wasn't anyone's target, which probably made him less appealing.

He went out to his car and decided this needed to stop. He was torturing himself for reason he didn't quite fully understand. He was who he was and nothing was going to change this.

He started his car and drove out into the street heading home.

* * *

He had stopped at a liquor store on his way home and was now well into his fourth bottle of beer. He was not one to drink his problems away, but he just didn't care at this moment. His depression sunk to a new low as he finished his beer and grabbed for yet another bottle.

This was his pattern for the rest of the night until he passed out in his recliner.

* * *

Ryan woke with a wicked headache and one hell of a hangover. Work was the last thing on his mind, but he knew if he didn't show up Horatio would be calling him to find out where he was.

He finished getting dressed and downed some coffee and pain killers for breakfast. It wasn't much, but it would was enough to get him to work. He could grab some more coffee while he worked on more paperwork; which he assumed would be his fate for the day.

The drive to work was torturous; the traffic was horrific and it did nothing for his aching head. Luckily by the time he arrived at work, the pain killers had finally taken effect.

He forced himself to go into the building and went straight to the records department where he spent the next few hours finishing up with the paperwork he had started the day before.

At 12:30 he decided to have his lunch. He had brought something from home and wished he could eat outside, but the weather was not cooperating. Lunch in the break room would have to do.

He sat down on one of the chairs positioned in front of the TV and started eating the roast beef sandwich he had made. It wasn't particularly good, but he was in no mood to go out for lunch. Besides, from the way everyone appeared to be treating him today he wouldn't have found any one to go with.

On his way back to his work he passed several coworkers who made eye contact, but only briefly before resuming their conversation. If he didn't know better, he could have sworn they looked back at him after he passed them. He felt like they were talking about him, but he was just being paranoid, or was he. There had been several other encounters that day that resulted in people acknowledging him with their eyes or saying a quick hello, but no one made any attempt to have a real conversation. This was so completely different from the other day when he thought he couldn't take one more discussion about how he was feeling. It some ways he was glad that they were leaving him alone, but he didn't think they would all go back to their old ways of ignoring him so quickly. He figured it would slowly die down. He really only had himself to be mad at. It was he who wished it be this way.

The rest of his day was boring and uneventful. The paperwork started to blur together at one point so he decided it was time to go home. He got his things together and headed out to his car.

He passed several people on his way out, but he chose to ignore them. He was tempted to turn back to watch them after he passed, but he thought it would just feed his depression to see them huddled together with their whispers and darting eyes on him. He only assumed this is what he would see since he was used to this kind of behavior had been experiencing in the last 2 days.

He needed to get home, but he planned on stopping at the same liquor store before going home. A few beers would help him forget the events of today.

* * *

He was just pulling into the parking lot outside the liquor store when his cell phone rang. He parked at the first parking spot he saw before answering it.

"Hello, this is Ryan".

"Ryan, man I am so glad to get a hold of you. I really need your help".

Ryan instantly recognized the voice as that of one of his snitches he had used when he was a patrol officer. The man had become quite valuable in other cases, but he hadn't used his services in a few years, "Tony, I haven't talked to you in a couple of years; what can I do for you?"

"Hey man, I knew you would remember me. That's why I called you because I knew you would help me".

Ryan was always there for his friends, but this guy's reputation was something he didn't know he would want to get caught up in again. "Slow down, Tony, what kind of help are you talking about?"

Tony's voice took on a more calmed tone, "Sorry Ryan, I was jumping to conclusions, but I really do need your help".

Ryan took a deep breath, "Just tell me what you want Tony".

"I need you to help me prove someone was murdered?"

The mention of the word murdered was enough to get Ryan's attention, but he knew that he had to be very cautious with his next words, "What do you mean murdered Tony? Did you do something?"

"I didn't kill anyone Ryan, I swear, but the cops don't believe me".

A few different scenarios blew through Ryan's mind but he knew that he needed to ask the right questions so he couldn't let his own thoughts get in the way, "Where are you right now Tony? Did the cops arrest you?"

"No man, nothing like that. I called them to report a murder I saw but when they came out to investigate they found nothing".

"So what's the problem then? You must have only thought you saw something".

"No man, I know what I saw. I don't know what happened to the body, but there was definitely a murder committed".

Ryan knew that Tony tended to exaggerate things, but he didn't think he would go this far, "Ok Tony, tell me the facts".

"Look, can you come over here so I can tell you in person. I don't like talking over the phone".

Ryan didn't have time for this game, "Tony, either you tell me what you know or I hang up".

"Please don't hang up Ryan; you are the only one I can turn to. I know what I saw and what I saw was someone being murdered. The body lay there for a whole day before I said anything but when the cops did show up they found nothing. I just need you to prove to them that I am telling the truth".

"Why do you care Tony? You only do things if there is something in it for you, so tell me, what is in it for you?"

There was a long uncomfortable pause on the phone and Ryan was about to say he was hanging up when Tony finally replied, "Look Ryan, I know they don't believe me because of my past, but I have worked really hard to clean up my act. I don't really know why this is important to me, but I want them to believe me and take me seriously. I don't know who it was that was murdered and I for sure don't know why I want to get involved, but I know what I saw and I can't just let this go".

Ryan could hear the compassion in Tony's voice and knew that he was speaking the truth. He knew this man well enough to know that he didn't go out of his way to make trouble; it just always seemed to find him. But he also knew why the police didn't believe him. If there was no body or evidence to show there was a murder then they don't really have a case. All they have is the claim. But he also knew that without anything obvious to go by, the police would not do anything like send in a team to really scope out the place. "I'll see what I can do, ok Tony".

"Please Ryan, can you come out here tomorrow and just take a look. I promise you it will be worth it".

At this point he didn't think he had anything to lose. "Ok Tony, I'll try and make it out tomorrow. Where do you want me to meet you?"

Tony explained that he was now living in the poorer section outside of town close to the swamp lands. Ryan knew the place well and was grateful it wasn't too far from work. He didn't think he would find anything, but if Horatio insisted on keeping him at the station to do paperwork, then he would have to find his own case work.

* * *

Ryan never did make it inside the liquor store and by the time he had gotten home he was too caught up thinking about his talk with Tony to even think remember it.

He even managed to go to bed at a normal time where his dreams were absent allowing for him to get a good night's rest.

This was probably a good thing for tomorrow was his birthday and he actually had something to look forward to.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE: sorry this chapter took so long. I was having a major writers block and just couldn't get myself to commit to this story or any of my other stories. But now I have some extra time to write as I am forced to stay off my broken foot while I await surgery next week. I am hoping that I will feel like doing some more writing after my surgery since I will certainly have the time.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

Today was Ryan's 33rd birthday and he just hoped it was a good day. He showered and dressed and then sat down at the table to drink his coffee and open the few birthday cards that he had gotten during the week. He was always one to wait until the actual day before opening them for fear of bad luck. He had surely had his share of bad luck lately so he didn't dare tempt fate by adding more.

One card was from his uncle who used to live here in Miami, and another one was from his parents. He knew his mother would be calling him tonight to wish him happy birthday so he had that to look forward to as well. The 3rd and last card was from his neighbor lady who he had helped on more than one occasion. She had hand delivered the card the other day along with some homemade cookies and said she was sorry she couldn't remember the exact day his birthday fell on, but was glad she remembered it was at the end of the month. He could always count on her for cookies around the holidays and other special occasions, especially since none of her kids or grandkids lived close by. He kind of suspected that she silently adopted him as one of her own kids the way she acted around him.

After placing the cards on his refrigerator, as was his family tradition, he headed to work. He wondered if anyone there would remember what day it was. Last year they took him out to lunch, but that was only because Calleigh let it slip as to what day it was. He could always count on her to remember.

* * *

The drive to work was uneventful, but he had to once again look out for the potholes in the road made by the recent rain and bad weather. It had rained again last night and many of them were now filled with water which made them harder to see.

Aside from watching for holes in the pavement, his thoughts were filled with the information had had received from his friend Tony. He was going to ask if he could leave early today so that he could head out to meet with him and find out exactly what was going on. He just hoped that Horatio was ok with it.

* * *

He parked in the closest spot he could find and dragged himself out for the walk to the front door.

He didn't get very far before one of his colleagues; who was walking in a rather rushed fashion stopped him.

"Hey Ryan you're early today?"

Ryan looked at his watch before responding, "It's not that early Bill. I'm only 10 minutes early".

Bill turned away from Ryan and looked toward the building for a brief moment before looking back at his friend, "well, I gotta warn you that Horatio is not in a good mood at the moment and if I were you I wouldn't go in there right now".

Ryan was never afraid of one of Horatio's moods, he had grown rather accustom to them in the past several years, "Thanks for the warning Bill, but I can handle Horatio".

"I don't know Ryan; I think I heard him mention your name while he was yelling. You may just want to let him calm down before going in".

Ryan thought he heard panic in Bill's voice, but a lot of people got nervous when they were around an unhappy Horatio. He couldn't think of anything he had done to get anyone angry, let alone his boss. None of this made any sense, "Are you sure you heard him say my name, maybe he said Brian".

"No, I'm pretty sure he said Ryan. I don't know why he was mad, but I'm just looking out for a friend".

Ryan had started out the day in a fairly good mood, but with the knowledge that Horatio was mad at him made him change his mind. There was absolutely nothing he could think of that would make Horatio with him. Did he fill out the paperwork wrong or something, because that was about all he had been doing lately.

The more he thought about it the madder he got. He saw a strange look on Bill's face when he looked in his direction. "Well if he's that mad then maybe I shouldn't come in at all today".

He started to turn from Bill but felt a hand on his shoulder preventing him from moving away.

"Whoa Ryan, I just thought you should give him a few moments to cool off, I didn't say you should not work today".

Ryan moved away from Bill's grip and turned to him, "It doesn't really matter what I do today. I'm just going to be stuck doing paperwork anyway, and I think it can wait until tomorrow".

"You're just going to make him even madder if you leave. Besides, do you even have anytime left to take off?"

The last part of Bill's statement was enough for Ryan to get angry, "You know Bill it's none of your business what I do with my time. If I want to take off from work then I'm going to take off from work. If Horatio doesn't like it then it's between him and me. Besides, it's not like anyone is going to miss me today. The way everyone was treating the last couple of days just proves that the guilt you have been feeling since the mess with the Triangle Killer is over". He turned and started walking away, "I don't have time for this today. Tell Horatio I'll see him tomorrow".

Bill stood there in shock as Ryan walked away, but he quickly regained his senses and rushed back inside the building to let everyone know what just happened.

* * *

So far this had to be one of his worst birthdays since moving to Miami. He wasn't expecting balloons and a crowd of people waiting for him as he arrived, but he hadn't expected this. Well he had other things he could do today that didn't involve the Miami Dade Police Department or their crime lab. He had his friend Tony to go and see.

He quickly texted Horatio to let him know he was not coming in today and took off for his friends place.

* * *

Calleigh saw Bill rush in from outside and it looked like he was not happy, "Hey Bill, where's Ryan?"

Bill stopped at the question, "He left Calleigh".

"He left, but why? You were supposed to just keep him out there until we were ready. What happened to cause him to leave?"

Bill looked worried and was afraid to tell her what took place, but he knew they would never leave him alone until he told them.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE: Well I thought I would end this chapter here, but I am already working on the next chapter so it shouldn't be long. Thanks to those who left me a review. It was much appreciated and I'm glad to know you're still enjoying the story. It's only going to get better from here.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

When Calleigh heard about Ryan leaving she was furious. But her feelings were not directed to Ryan; instead they were directed toward Bill. The man was just supposed to keep him busy outside while they got the few last touches done inside. But now Ryan was not coming in and would not see that the lobby was decorated with balloons and well wishers for his birthday.

She had spent the last couple of days making arrangements to have one heck of a party for Ryan's birthday. She had even gotten Horatio to help out; which was something he didn't normally do, but his respect for Ryan was enough for him to make an exception.

Everyone else had also done a great job at keeping everything a secret, but based on Bill's recollection of Ryan's reaction outside, maybe they had gone too far. They had never meant for Ryan to feel like they were ignoring him; they were just trying to keep his party a surprise.

She told everyone within earshot that the party was going to be delayed and that they should get back to work. She needed to figure out how to get Ryan back to work and knew that Horatio would have to help. She remembered being cautioned about having to big of a party, but she just couldn't help herself. She had gone the whole nine yards in hopes of making up for past parties, but perhaps this is what she deserved for not listening to Horatio. She knew he wouldn't be happy when she told him, but hopefully it was only a temporary delay.

Calleigh found Horatio and told him everything. His usual response to situations that went wrong was that he would take care of it and to not worry. She knew that he would make it all better and find Ryan. He was good at fixing the mistakes others have made and making the impossible happen.

* * *

After several attempts to reach Ryan by phone Horatio had finally been successful on his fourth try. "Ryan, can I ask why you are not coming into work today?"

Ryan had been expecting this call and thought he knew how it was going to go, but judging by the tone in his boss's voice it was the complete opposite. It threw him off a bit causing an uncomfortable silence on the phone.

"Ryan, are you still there?"

The second question brought Ryan back to the conversation, "Yes Horatio, I'm here".

"Well, why are you not coming into work today, are you not feeling well?"

Ryan didn't want to lie about why he was not coming in to work today so he decided the truth (altered slightly) was the best and only option, "Sorry, I planned on coming in but I got a call from a friend of mine and he needed my help. I thought this was more important than doing paperwork all day".

"I'm sorry Ryan, I don't understand what your friend has to do with work, is he in trouble?"

"I don't know and that is why I need to go and find out. He really needs my help since there in no one else to turn to".

Silence filled the air once again as Horatio filtered through the information he had just been given. When he was done he knew what he had to do, "Look Ryan, where can I meet you? I want to assist you with this".

This was the last thing Ryan had expected to come from his boss, especially one who was only hours ago mad at him. It made him angry to think that his own boss didn't even think he could help his friend, or rather someone he knew, and that he still needed to have someone ride along with him. He could handle his job just fine despite what everyone was thinking. "I don't want to bother anyone with this; I can handle it on my own".

"Mr. Wolfe, I wasn't asking if I could come along".

Now this sounded like the old Horatio he knew, but there was still something in his voice that didn't convince him. "I'm doing this on my own time and besides my friend lives outside of our jurisdiction".

"I figured as much, but I haven't approved your day off yet, so as far as I'm concerned you are still on the clock".

Ryan felt trapped and decided to just lay it all on the line, "Why were you mad at me this morning? What did I do that would cause you to be so angry".

"I don't know what you are talking about Ryan".

"Bill told me to wait outside this morning before going in because he said you needed time to cool off. He said you were mad at something I did".

Horatio let out a large sigh as he listened to Ryan, "Ryan, I was never mad at you. If you want the truth Bill was only supposed to delay you from going in. Calleigh had a surprise waiting for you inside".

"What?" Ryan fell silent as it dawned on him that the surprise was probably for his birthday. He felt about 2 inches tall at the moment for jumping to conclusions. "I didn't know Horatio; I thought Bill was telling the truth".

"So, are you going to let me help you so that I can get you back to the office before Calleigh loses all hope of giving you your surprise?"

"Yeah sure".

Ryan proceeded to give Horatio directions to where he was headed and kept on driving. He thought about turning back and heading back to the station, but he was already so close that he might as well get it over with. Plus he wanted to beat the weather, which looked a storm was headed their way. And with Horatio's help, if he even needed anyone's help, would come in handy to getting the job done quickly.

* * *

Horatio arrived at the address that Ryan had given him in good time. He found Ryan's car and parked next to it. He hoped to find him quickly and get back to the station. He didn't like the looks of the weather, which was threatening rain at any minute.

There was no sign of Ryan so he decided to look around. The area was not much to look at and the grey clouds overhead didn't help make it look any better. He was in a poorer section of town close to the swamps. He had to wonder where Ryan would have met someone who lived in this area, but then again there was a lot about his CSI that he didn't know about yet.

He went over to Ryan's car and found that it was locked. He looked on the ground and saw footprints that led from the car to one of the rundown buildings. He decided to follow the trail and eventually ended up at a set of stairs that led to what he could only guess was an apartment. These buildings looked like to have been a nice place to live once upon a time, but they had been so neglected that he was surprised they were still standing.

He started up the stairs but was quickly in police mode when he heard shouting and a loud crash coming from behind the door he was now headed toward. He pulled out his gun and cautiously made his way to the door. "Police" was all that he yelled after he pounded on the door. When no one answered he yelled it again before he kicked the door open.

With his gun in both hands, he pushed the door open and took a quick look inside before entering. A quick inspection found that a large bookcase was on the floor surrounded by broken glass, but there was no one inside. "Ryan, are you in here?"

From the back of the apartment he heard a familiar voice, "Horatio, I'm back here".

Horatio made his way into the back of the apartment and found Ryan kneeling on the floor over someone.

Horatio didn't see anything physically wrong with Ryan from his first glance but that didn't mean he wasn't hurt, "Ryan are you ok? What happened here?"

Ryan looked up briefly and then looked back down at his friend, "I'm fine Horatio, but he's not". He continued to attend to his friend when he felt Horatio kneel beside him.

Horatio saw some blood on the unconscious mans arm but it didn't look bad enough to do any real harm. It was the bump forming on his forehead that made him worry. "What happened?"

"I came here to talk to Tony and I found him in the middle of a fight with another man. I tried to help but he got away before I could catch up with him".

A red mark on Ryan's face was something he noticed when he was down at his level. It proved that he had been part of the fight, "Where did he go?"

"He went out the back way when he heard you on the other side of the door. I don't know who he was but I am hoping Tony can tell me when he wakes up".

As if he could hear Ryan, Tony started to move, eventually opening his eyes just enough to see where he was, but then shut them again when a wave of pain washed through his head.

Ryan lightly grabbed Tony's shoulder, "Hey Tony, the other guys gone now. You can open your eyes?"

Tony opened his eyes again and saw who was talking, "Ryan buddy, what happened?"

"That is what I was hoping you could tell us".

At the mention of 'us' Tony looked around to see who else was in his room. He saw the back of a man with red hair where a dark suit looking out the window. "I thought you were coming alone Ryan?"

"It's ok Tony, this is Horatio and he came along to help".

Ryan helped his friend up and onto the bed. He checked him over and noticed that aside from the blood he looked ok. "It looks like you are going to be ok but you should go to the hospital and have your head and arm looked after".

Tony looked down at his arm and used his good arm to cover up the small flow of blood, "No man, I'll be fine, I don't need a hospital".

Horatio turned and looked at Ryan, "Can I have a word with you Mr. Wolfe?"

Ryan knew this was coming and didn't make any objections to Horatio's request. He moved over to where his boss stood and waited for him to start.

"Ryan, if I am going to help you I need to know what is going on".

"I'm not sure myself Horatio. I got a call from Tony and he asked for my help. He said that he found a dead body, but when the police came to investigate they called him a liar because they could not find any evidence. He was just hoping that I would be able to find something that would prove he was not lying. He doesn't have the best relationship with law enforcement".

Horatio looked over at Tony sitting on the bed, "That much I gathered. Who is Tony exactly; he doesn't strike me as the type of friend you would hang out with".

Ryan lowered his eyes, feeling caught. "He's just an acquaintance of mine. I used him in the past for getting information, but he's not the same guy he once was, which is why I believe him. If he said he found a dead body then he did".

"Well then let's find out what we can from Tony shall we".

Horatio and Ryan both took their turns talking to Tony and found out that the guy he was fighting with before Ryan arrived had something to do with the whole thing. The guy had broken into Tony's apartment and threatened to kill him if he didn't stop trying to convince everyone that he had found a dead body. He had never seen the man before but was able to describe him. The description along with what Ryan had was enough to start looking into it.

Tony then proceeded to walk them out to where he found the body, which was not far from his place, but there was nothing to see. The place looked to be in a terrible mess. The recent storms would have most likely taken care of any physical evidence that may have once been there, but Ryan knew there may still be something to find. He wanted to look around some more but hadn't brought the right equipment with him.

Horatio suggested that the only thing they could do at this point was to take the description of the man back to the station to see if they could figure out who he was and then come back another time with the right equipment to see if there was anything left to find where the body had been.

Ryan knew that Horatio was only trying to rush him along so that they could get back to the party that Calleigh had planned. If he were to admit the truth, he really just wanted to stay here with Tony, but he knew they needed more to go one and would have to come back. He felt stupid for the way he acted when the left the station that morning, but if those people were really his friends and not just pretending, then they would understand and not make his abrupt departure a big deal.

As they walked back toward Tony's apartment the dark clouds finally let loose with the rain. It only started to drizzle at first, but before they reached the safety of any kind of shelter it started pouring.

The three ran the rest of their way to their destination and were now standing by the stairs that led to Tony's apartment.

Ryan shook out his hair and looked over to where he had parked his car. "That's odd; I thought I parked my car right over there?"

Horatio heard him and looked over to where he had seen Ryan's car and knew his own vehicle to be, "You had parked over there Ryan. I parked my hummer right next to your car".

Ryan looked around and for a moment thought he they had gone to the wrong building, since they all looked alike, but when he saw the door kicked in at the top of the stairs he knew this was Tony's apartment. "What's going on, where are they?"

Horatio pulled out his gun, "I don't know, but I am going to find out. I want the both of you to stay here while I go have a look at the apartment upstairs".

Ryan waited with Tony but when Horatio didn't return he proceeded up the stairs, with Tony not too far behind.

"Horatio, are you in there?"

It was faint, but he clearly heard Horatio respond, "Ryan, don't come in here".

This made Ryan more determined than ever to go inside but before he could enter he came face to face with end of a gun.

"Put down your gun or he gets it", was all that Ryan heard from the man. He dropped the gun to the ground and tried to get a good look inside but all he got was a hard knock on the side of his head by the gun that had been pointing in his face. He had just enough time to turn around and see that someone had Tony before his world went dark.

xxxxx


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

Ryan opened his eyes and found that he was lying on the floor on his side and his hands were tied behind his back. He wanted to roll over to see where he was but he could tell by the smell that he was in Tony's apartment. He also wanted to roll over to see who he was with but the voices of two unknown men caused him to remain still for fear of being noticed. One had a very deep voice while the other one was almost childlike.

He didn't know if Horatio or Tony were with him but he hoped the two people talking would say something to indicate they were.

The two men were arguing over what to do and it didn't take long for them to indicate that they did have more than one person being held captive. The man with the deep voice had finally said some to the fact of why did we have to kidnap police officers. If he used the plural version of the word 'officers' then it had to mean that Horatio was somewhere here with him. What kind of condition he was in was an altogether different concern. There was no mention of anyone else, but at this point he knew he wasn't alone.

He tested the ropes tied to around his wrists and found that they were extremely secure. There was no hope of getting out of them at the moment but he wouldn't stop trying.

It must have been the movement from his arms that caused the man with the deeper voice to take notice of him.

"Hey, it looks like the other cop is finally awake; get him up on the chair".

Ryan felt large hands grab his upper arms and pull him straight up off the floor. As he was being moved he found what he was hoping to see; which was Horatio alive and well. He wanted to say something but the guy who had him was being rather rough as he placed him down in a chair. Before he could get more comfortable in the chair and stretch out his legs he found that he was being secured to the chair by more rope.

He stole a glance over at Horatio and was satisfied when he looked back. The look was one of reassurance so he hoped that his boss had a plan for getting out of this.

Ryan then looked back to the two men and found that the mental image he had formed in his mind while listening to the voices was nothing like what he was looking at. The man who had hauled him up was very large, but with the voice like his it didn't match. As for the other guy, he was definitely the one who had beaten up Tony.

He quickly looked around for Tony but didn't see him anywhere. He wasn't friends with the guy or anything, but he still hoped he was ok. The guy had a tough life before and was trying to get it back on the right track. He at least deserved to have something go right in his life.

Ryan's attention was suddenly diverted as he heard one of the men talking. It was the guy with the deep voice and one he could only suspect was in charge.

"So, like I was telling your friend here, you two have come at the most inconvenient time. I told Tony not to involve the police, but he never did listen to common sense. So now that you are here I have got to figure out what to do with you".

Ryan didn't know if Horatio was going to say anything so he replied, "Well, how about letting us go".

The only response he got was a strong back hand from the big guy. His left eye stung from the force and he kept his head down for a moment before looking back up. He looked over at Horatio and could tell by the look in his eyes that he was to remain silent for now. Horatio was never easy to read, but when he wanted you to do something without saying it, it only took one look and you knew what you were to do.

"Now that is exactly what I told your boss when he asked. We can't just let you go now, not after you've seen us. No we have something in mind for the both of you".

Ryan didn't like it when he said the two of you. It could only mean that something had already happened to Tony. He couldn't help himself and blurted out, "Where is Tony, what have you done with him?"

This time the big guy did not hit Ryan. Instead the smaller deep voiced man answered him "You'll be with him soon enough".

The smaller man went over to the window and looked outside and then turned back to his partner, "we need to get these guys moved before the storm hits. The last thing we need is to get stranded out here during the rain. You get the boss man while I take care of the little one".

Both Horatio and Ryan found themselves being gagged with a rather toxic smelling rag. It didn't take long for either one of them to find it hard to concentrate on what was happening next. It didn't smell like chloroform, but whatever it was had the same affects on their nervous system.

* * *

It was going on 1 o'clock in the afternoon and Calleigh had just tried both Horatio and Ryan for the 4th time. "Hey Eric, I still can't get a hold of either of them. Do you think something has happened".

Eric was just as worried as she was, "I think it is too early. The storm that is coming may be blocking the signals. I'm sure they will be back soon".

Calleigh didn't think he sound to convincing. "So tell me again what Horatio told you before he left?"

"He said that he was going to meet up with Ryan somewhere and help him with a friend of his who needed help".

"But he didn't tell you where he was going, did he?"

Eric shook his head, "No he didn't, but he did take a hummer out. I'll have them find out where it is by using the GPS. It will at least give us an idea of where it is".

"Yeah could you do that Eric, I know if would make me feel a lot better. I just heard the weather report and the storm that is coming doesn't sound like it is something you would want to get caught in".

Eric agreed about the weather. He had heard that the rain and wind that was coming was close to that of a tropical storm. No one had predicted the storm was going to be this bad, but then again the weather station could only predict storms activities to a certain degree. It was not too unheard of here in Miami to have a simple down pour turn into a raging storm with 60 mile an hour winds that didn't let up for days.

Calleigh looked out the window after Eric left the room. She had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach that she knew wouldn't go away until they had both Horatio and Ryan back here safely. Besides they had a party to give, whether the birthday boy was willing to have it or not.

* * *

Horatio woke up to the feeling of being jostled around. He was one something hard and uneven which made it hard to get his bearings. After a few moments he finally realized that he must be lying in the back of a pickup bed with the cover on. He was lying on the uneven flooring of the truck which was moving at a pretty good speed.

He shifted his body as best as his bound hands could and finally located Ryan with his feet. He still had the gag over his mouth so he couldn't call out his name very well. It was dark in the truck so he couldn't see if Ryan was awake or not.

Ryan had thought he felt something brush up against his shoulder. He opened his eyes and found everything dark. It didn't take long for him to remember what had happened to him and Horatio. This caused him to panic slightly but he felt something new brush up against his body and knew that it must be Horatio. He wanted to yell out but the gag was still in his mouth. He did his best and mumbled Horatio's name.

Horatio could hear him and knew that he was awake. He could tell where the mumble had come from which helped him figure out where Ryan's head was. He moved and pivoted his body in just the right way soon had has tied hands right up against Ryan's face. He felt around and used what slack he had in the rope to pull the gag down and away from Ryan's face.

When Ryan felt the hands around his face he knew what Horatio was planning. It took a few tries, but he was soon free of the smelly rag, "Oh man, that feels better. Thanks Horatio".

Ryan then rolled over when he felt Horatio rolling over and soon his own hands were pulling Horatio's gag down and out of his mouth.

"Ryan, are you ok?"

"Yeah, but what the heck was on those rags, and where the heck are we now?"

"I think we are in the back of a pickup truck bed. As to where we are going, I don't know".

Ryan had heard fear in Horatio's voice only a few times and wasn't too happy to hear it now. He knew Horatio had been in worst predicaments then this so what made this any different.

Horatio was scared but didn't want to admit it to Ryan. He wasn't so much afraid for himself, but he was scared for Ryan's health and sanity. It hadn't been too long since they had been held captive together and he didn't know what this would do to his CSI.

xxxxx


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

Now that they could communicate with each other Horatio set on getting their hands loose. He used the same method he used to remove the gag from Ryan's mouth to get the ropes undone.

Once Ryan was free he did the same for Horatio. "Ok, Horatio, now what?"

Horatio tried his best to sit up, but the cover over their heads made it difficult. He tested the top and found that it moved with minimal effort, something for which he was hoping to find. "Well I think the best thing we can do is to get out of this truck. Are you up for that?"

Ryan had come up with the same idea but didn't say anything now that it had already been said. "Yeah sounds good". He tested the portion of the top by his head and felt around until he had a good grip on it. He waited until Horatio was ready and pushed with everything he had until it finally opened.

It hadn't been either one's intention to lift the cover up as high as it did, but there was nothing they could do about it now. It was easy to figure out that the person driving the truck had taken notice because they were slowing down.

It was now or never so Horatio and Ryan took a flying leap out of the back of the truck and did their best to come to a rolling stop.

As Ryan hit the ground he felt his shoulder pop, but chose to ignore it as he continued to roll. When he finally stopped he got to his feet as quickly as his legs would allow. It was still dark out and it was raining heavily, but that didn't stop him from spotting Horatio. The man was only a few feet away and from his vantage point appeared to be unharmed.

Once Horatio had stopped rolling his first attempt to stand up had failed as pain erupted in his left ankle. He didn't think it was broken, but it didn't feel good either. His second attempt to stand was successful, if not a little unsteady, but when he saw Ryan coming in his direction he put the pain aside and stood up straight.

Ryan wanted to say something to Horatio, but the sound coming from the direction of the truck made them both start running. It was clear they were deep in the swamp lands of Miami where one wrong step could be their last, but their first instinct was to get themselves to safety where they could think of their next step.

The rain was making the ground wet and soggy, making it hard to run very fast, but it was also the rain, and the darkness, that kept them from getting caught.

It was about 15 minutes before either of them realized that they were no longer being followed. Horatio was the first to stop, pulling Ryan with him into a large clump of soggy brush.

As soon as Ryan caught his breath he finally allowed the pain that was in his shoulder to make itself known. "Owww" was all that came out of his mouth as he tried to move it. He tried his best to rub the pain away, but it did not good. He knew what was wrong with it; he had dislocated it, something which he was familiar with.

"What is it Ryan?"

Ryan waited for a wave of pain to run its course before answering, "I've dislocated my shoulder, but I can fix it". He had done it before, but it was something he wished he didn't have to do. The last time he put his shoulder back by himself he passed out. He couldn't afford to be dead weight while they were being chased.

"Let me take a look". Horatio had his fair share of dealing with dislocated shoulders when he was younger and knew exactly how to pop one back in. Without saying anything he quickly pulled Ryan's arm at an angle until he felt it move back to its normal position. He ignored the muffled cry that came from his surprised CSI, "It's going to be sore, but you should be able to use it until we can get out of here".

As soon as he felt Horatio grab his arm, he knew what was going to happen. He didn't protest but instead waited for the pain he knew he was going to be feeling. He did his best to keep from crying out when the shoulder was being moved, but once it was back where it needed to be he felt better. It still hurt, but at least he could use his arm, "Thanks H, I could have done it myself, but it's always better when someone else does it".

The statement surprised Horatio, "You've had this happen before then?"

"Yeah, too many times to count I guess. They say once you dislocate it, it doesn't take much to do it again".

Horatio wanted to hear more, but knew it would have to wait. "We need to get to a safer place. I don't know where they are, but this ground is getting so saturated with water that it's going to make it hard to move quickly if we need to".

Ryan agreed; the rain was falling pretty heavily. "Do you have any idea of where we are?"

"We're in the swamps, but which part I am not sure about. I could judge by the amount of time we were in the truck, but we were unconscious for part of it".

Ryan felt around for his cell phone thinking it might help pinpoint their location, "Damn, they took my cell phone". He knew they would have taken Horatio's phone as well so he didn't even bother to ask.

Horatio let Ryan lead since he didn't want the younger man to see the difficulty he was having with the uneven, non-solid terrain. But he couldn't let his ankle slow them down, not now anyway. He had to make sure they were in a safer location.

Ryan didn't question why he was going first. He was used to being the one in the spotlight. But he noticed that in order for them to stay together he had to slow down. He wanted to ask if there was anything wrong, but he knew Horatio long enough to know he would not get a straight answer.

The thought of Horatio not being his tip top shape made Ryan nervous and it was causing feelings he had hoped to never experience again. He was scared, scared for his life. It wasn't that long ago that he was put into this same position. It wasn't exactly the same thing, but the outcome might be the same if they didn't play their cards right.

Ryan was suddenly caught off guard when he felt a hand grasp his arm. He turned around in a defensive pose only to realize that it was Horatio who had touched him. He was silent for a moment as he stared into Horatio's face. The look on his face was familiar, but where or when he had seen it was unknown to him.

Horatio had been following behind Ryan as best as he could, but when he sensed the younger man slowing down he knew something had to be up. He managed to reach him before he had stopped altogether. "Ryan, what's wrong, did you hear anything? We need to keep moving"

He did his best to bring Ryan's attention back to the present, but the look in his face told him he was somewhere else, somewhere recently. He was worried what this would do to his CSI so soon after having just gone through something equally traumatic, but it was something they could not afford to deal with now.

Ryan brought his full attention back to the matter at hand. He quickly put his feeling aside as he looked around, "No, I didn't hear anything. I didn't even realize that I had slowed down. Do you have any idea where we are going?"

"I don't, but we don't have time to think about that right now. We need to get to higher ground if we want to stay ahead of the game". He meant it when he said higher ground. With the rain continuing to fall, it would only be a matter before this whole area was under water. He had seen it before and knew what to expect. All the recent rain had saturated the land so much that this additional rain would just swell the ground leaving the nowhere for the water to go. It would get worse before it got better and if they didn't keep moving they would have little chance of making it out of here.

* * *

Calleigh was beyond worried now. There was no new information about the location of Horatio and Ryan. The way she was feeling was oddly familiar and it killed her to not be able to do anything about it. She had wanted to go with Frank and Eric, but they needed her here.

She stared out the window and watched as the wind and rain were driven into the side of the building. The weather report had said that an early tropical storm had started up out of nowhere and was headed their way. She didn't like the idea that two of their own were out there possibly stuck in this.

The only reassurance she had was her faith in Horatio. She knew he would get Ryan back here safely.


End file.
